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 t is clear that Bouguereau's subject matter choices were a sign of the times. Prior to the social and political upheaval in France, the common people were rarely elevated in painting compositions. More common subjects were members of royalty and idealized figures of history, mythology and allegory. Nowhere is the tide of social change more evident in the collection than in the works by Jehan George Vibert. The Rosses own five outstanding examples by this master of perspicacious detail. The artist took advantage of a new freedom of speech to poke fun at the clergy. Prior to the freedom reforms in France, irreverent depictions of the clergy could result in one's head resting between a bucket and a blade. In The Diet Vibert portrays a rotund cardinal reluctantly conforming to a restricted caloric intake, his eyes rolled upward in a perturbed expression. Behind him is an elaborately carved mantle. Its cornice motto, "FORCE" (meaning strength), appears most appropriately over the cardinal's head. Off to the side we get a glimpse of a passing parade of servants delivering rich foods to the (assumed) more svelte clergy members.
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Vibert's paintings are extensively rendered and often small in scale. The Fortune Teller (La Tireuse des Cartes) is a notable exception. Mr. Ross stated that he considers this to be "the greatest Vibert I have ever seen." I would have to agree. Regardless of the larger size, Vibert retained an allegiance to his characteristically complete rendering style; there's just more of it. From the standpoint of labor intensity alone, this work is a tour de force. In this multi-figured painting he has again captured the irony of spoofing the clergy. There is a meeting of the religious and the deceptive, as a fortune-teller draws cards of fate for her captivated audience. Mr. Ross states, "This artist didn't know the meaning of the word 'shortcut.'" Despite the extreme attention to detail in both works, Vibert's lighting effect remains unerringly consistent, gluing a multitude of elements together as a whole. For readers who are not familiar with Vibert's work, similar modern remnants of capturing the private comedies of human weakness can be found in the works of American illustrator Norman Rockwell.
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The Social Realists were a group of artists whose works of reportage also reflected the vicissitudes in the political and social climate. They "painted the plight of the downtrodden and poor. The Social Realists brought to life the principles of the whole thought processes that came out of the enlightenment and the French and American Revolutions. Instead of queens and kings, it was the common man who was being celebrated," said Mr. Ross. Included in the collection is a painting of a sleeping street urchin with his dog by Augustus E. Mulready A Recess on a London Bridge. Historically speaking, this work can be valued for its accurate depiction of a darker side of European history.
In strong contrast, three works by a Victorian painter idealistically portray classical genre scenes of leisure. A Corner of the Villa by Sir Edward J. Poynter, P.R.A., provides us with a sense of space as we observe a private moment shared in an atrium among two women and a child.
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The artist's willingness to attempt a scene so full of different marbles, mosaics and stone reliefs is commendable and speaks well of his technical prowess. Not only was Poynter an accomplished painter, but as president of the Royal Academy for 23 years (1896-1919), he was responsible for the education of hundreds of other artists.
In the open air overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, John William Godward's Quiet Pet also captures a secluded scene. Just as Poynter chose to paint a multitude of challenging stone textures, Godward likewise undertook the challenge of painting various fabric textures. The artist's handling of the young woman's crinkled dress not only successfully retains the form of the fabric and the form of the dress, but also reveals her form underneath. The lion's pelt upon which she sits is all but palpable to the viewer and is clearly differentiated from her gown. Her aqua blue tie retains its flexible qualities regardless of the strong graphic impact of its Greek motif. Poynter could well have chosen a less labor-intensive route, but the final painting would not have been nearly as striking.
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Thou Rose of all Roses is by perhaps the best known Victorian painter, Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema. Similarly placed by the sea, the translucency of his pensive model's flesh reveals a variety of alternating warm and cool tones. But Alma-Tadema's greatest mastery of translucency is his ability to render marble. It is not an opaque, but rather a translucent stone with grey and tan veins that ultimately alter the view we see from its surface.
The majority of the figurative works in the Ross collection are of clothed individuals, but there is one outstanding nude by French figurative master, Jules LeFèbvre, Half-Length Demi Nude. She is exquisitely modeled with a vibratory daubing brushstroke; her presence is graphic, and her pearlescent skin tones are juxtaposed against a dark, lush foliage pattern. Of particular note for artists is LeFèbvre's handling of the initial paint drawing applied to the canvas. The drawing line alternates between a reddish burnt sienna and a raw umber.
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"The Social Realists brought to life the principles of the whole thought processes that came out of the French and American Revolutions."
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Despite the fact that the artist is known for round forms, it appears that he deliberately chose to retain a small graphic edge touch by leaving a considerable amount of line uncovered by modeled paint. It appears here and there, obvious, but not distracting to the illusion of roundness. Although the subject is vulnerably undraped, her gaze is forthright and comfortable.
Yseult is a show-stopping masterpiece by the painter Frank Dicksee, P.R.A. (President of the Royal Academy). The uniquely shaped picture is cradled in a New-Celtic carved frame, custom designed by Dicksee. The work portrays Queen Isolde (spelled "Yseult" by the artist) gazing at the sea from her palace window. The painting is based on the story of King Tristan who had a wife named Isolde, but held a long-time unrequited love for yet another Isolde, Isolde the Fair. When he was on his deathbed, it was his dying wish to see Isolde the Fair one last time, so he sent a ship to fetch her. To retain a veil of secrecy, the king asked the ship's captain to hoist a white flag if she was on board the ship; a black flag if she was not.
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Queen Isolde, having heard of the king's plan to rendezvous with another woman, was, needless to say, not very happy about her husband's extramarital intentions. She decided to trick the king with his own tool of deception by telling him that the ship had been sighted flying a black flag. The king died of a broken heart.
Not missing a beat of Tristan and Isolde mythology, the Rosses also own a Tristan and Isolde painting by Hughes Merle. This work displays the couple whose love story is perhaps a bit better known. The beautiful young Isolde is engaged to marry King Mark. Hoping that her daughter and the king will fall deeply in love once they set eyes on each other, her mother prepares a love potion. King Mark sends Tristan to escort Isolde back to him. The potion is placed in the watchful care of a nurse who is to travel with Isolde. In spite of the nurse's vigilance, the potion is momentarily left unguarded. Thinking it is wine, Tristan and Isolde drink the concoction, and are overtaken with love.
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In Merles' painting, the couple rendezvous in a dark forest accompanied by a pet dog. For the student of painting, this work is a superb lesson in the use of flow and light manipulation to direct the journey of the viewer's eyes across the picture plane. The artist has carefully posed his subjects in a way so as to gracefully force a viewing path that circles around Isolde. Although an overall low-keyed painting, by additionally directing the only light source toward her, the effect is magnified.
Another jewel from the Rosses' collection that portrays a "love story in the woods" could have been seen until recently at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Springtime by Pierre Auguste Cot was on loan at the Museum from January 1996 until January 1999. Here again the artist has carefully designed flow and the play of light to direct the viewer. This work exhibits Cot's refined ability to keenly observe and differentiate between translucent, opaque and semi-transparent fabrics. Additionally, his masterful skill at retaining the form of a body underneath semi-transparent fabric is remarkable and worthy of study.
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A third outstanding work that depicts a figurative grouping in the forest is Gaston Bussiere's Joan of Arc. Painted in 1908, the expressively daubed brushstroke of the background and the obtuse representation of the spirit figures result in a more modernist looking composition than Merles' and Cot's. Here the viewer is compelled to look at the strong focal point, Joan. The direction of light leads the eye toward her, and the painting's other figures, an angel, St. Catherine, St. Michael the Archangel and other spirits are turned toward her. Why shouldn't we?
Also set in the outdoors is Gleaners by Leon L'hermitte, who is known for his depictions of farmers in the fields and villages of the French countryside. Van Gogh is reported to have repeatedly mentioned both L'hermitte and Jean-François Millet in his letters, considering them to be two of his favorite artists. The vigorous rough strokes the artist used in creating the piece (1901) elucidate his shift toward an impressionist style that differs considerably from his more finely modeled earlier works. Mr. Ross admiringly spoke of L'hermitte's industrious creative output, obviously in awe of "the sheer volume of his work!"
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